Expansible collar



July 30, 1957 n L. c. MYRICK EXPANSIBLE COLLAR Filed Jan. 5, 1956 ATTORNEY 2,800,660 Y EXPANsrLE COLLAR Lucious C. Myrick, Nogales, Ariz.

Application January 5, 1956, Serial No. 557,568

4 Claims. (Cl. 2-116) This invention relates to improvements in the collars and neckbands of shirts;

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a collar for a so-called collar-attached shirt which will lita wider range of neck sizes than a conventional shirt of this type. Another object is to provide a self-adjusting neckband which conforms automatically and comfortably to the neck of the ywearer and neatly to a necktie, when one is worn. Another object is to provide a stretchable collar so constructed that it will not be distorted by the stretching action. .Another object is to provide an improved stretchable neckband in which the stretch mechanism is completely concealed, no matter whether the collar is worn open or closed, or with or without a necktie.

Itis old to provide collars with neckbands whichhave elastic sections permitting the collars to be stretched. One example is shown in the U. S. patent to Tucker No. 1,963,004, Figures 3 and 4. This type of structure has the disadvantage that the stretching of the neckband Istretches the collar proper where it is joined .to the neckband and causes the points of the collar to stand out from the shirt. Figure of the same patent to Tucker shows another expedient in which the button is secured to the neckband by a band of elastic. Even this structure causes the points of the collar to stand out from the shirt when the neckband is stretched. Furthermore, when the collar of Figure 5 is stretched, the overlapping portions of the shirt, including the ends of the neckband, separate, resulting in an untidy appearance.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of prior structures similar to that shown in the above-identified patent.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a fragmentary front elevation of the upper portion of a shirt showing a collar and neckband made in accordance with my invention, a portion of the collar being broken away to show the structure more clearly;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the upper portion of a shirt showing another form of my invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like characters designate the same or similar parts, Figs. l, 2, and 3 show a preferred form of my invention comprising a collar attached to shirt 20. The collar comprises a tubular neckband 24 attached along its lower edge by stitching 25 to the shirt 20 adjacent the top edge 20a thereof, and a collar portion proper 21 attached to tubular neckband 24 by stitching along the upper edge of neckband 24. In Figs. 2 and 3 neckband 24 has been shown bowed out in order to show the structure more clearly, but normally it lies tlat and is not noticeably thicker than a conventional neckband. Tubular neckband 24 extends around the collar and terminates in open ends 24e` which are spaced apart at the front of the shirt, one on each side, although only one open end is shown in Fig. l. A tab 22 is pro- 2,800,660 Patented July 30, 1957 vided in each of the open front ends 24e, being stitched to the top edge 20a of the shirt as at 29 by stitching which extends outwardly from the tubular neckband. This stitching also preferably extends inwardly for a distance within the tubular neckband as indicated by the section shown in Fig. 2. The lines of stitching 25 and 29 are spaced apart for a reason which will be explained below. The inner end of each tab 22 is spaced inwardly from its corresponding open front end 24C and to this inner end there is attached the outer end of a connecting strip 26,

as by stitching 27. lThe inner end of each `strip 26 isj attached to tubular neckband 24 as by stitching 28 'at a point spaced inwardly from the inner end of tab 22. Strip 26 is preferably made of elastic material, but may be made of other material having more give or .stretc than neckband 24. If desired, it may be made of the same material as neckband 24 or tab 22, but narrower, so that above.v The spacing between lines of stitching 25 and 29 permits movement of the lower edge of tabs 22 longitudinally of tubular neckband 24 sufficientlyy for the desired amount of expansibility of the collar. andv upper portions of tabs 22 are entirely free of the sides 24a and 24b of tubular neckband 24, outward motion of the upper portion of tabs 22 being restrained only by the stretchable connecting'strips 26. Thisstructure permits a substantial degreeof enlargement of the collar band as a whole, that is, of the neckband 24 plus the tabs 22. This enlargement takes place without any stretching of the tubular neckband portions between the point of attachment 28 and the open front ends of neckband 24. Thus, when the neckband expands, there is no stretch of the corresponding top portion 21a of the collar proper 21. Stretching of the top edge of the collar in this region would cause the collar proper to be distorted so that the ends or points of the collar 21 would stand out from the shirt.

An important feature of my invention is the structure by which such objectionable distortion of the collar points is avoided.

Means for detachably connecting tabs 22 together are provided, such as a snap type button 23.

Fig. 4 shows another form of my invention which is constructed in the same manner as described for Figs. l, 2, and 3, except that in place of using an elastic or stretchable connecting strip 26, a continuous strip 30 extending through tubular neckband 24 connects the tab ends as at 27.' This strip 30 may be of elastic or it may be of other suitable material having a suicient degree of stretch to permit the tabs 22 to be pulled out of the tubular neckband sutliciently to give the combined neckband, that is, comprising band 24 and tabs 22 to expand to the desired degree. If desired, connecting strip 30 may be attached to neckband 24 by suitable stitching at the rear, as indicated at 31.

It will be noted that in both the illustrated embodiments of my invention; i. e., those of Figures 1 and 4, the inner ends of tabs 22 are connected to each other by connecting means which includes at least one member which is more stretchable than tubular neckband 24. In the embodiment of Fig. l the said connecting means comprises stretchable connecting strips 26 and the portion of tubular neckband 24 extending around the back of the collar between stitching points 28, 28 on each side. In the em- The sides t 3 bodiment of Fig.` 4 the' saidconnecting means comprises stretchablestrip'StL-*which"need'not-be"attachedto Yneckband 24 at 31.

shirts: The collarpointsproper'alwayslie down naturally" against the 'shirtY body and are neverpulled outwardly' by distortion due to 'stretching ofthe collrbandi- By'choos-j1 ing `.connectingv strips Ysuchas 26 and Gil l'of' suitable stretchable ,or elastic material,A the colla'rwill iconform4 p comfortably and neatly'to the neckof thwearer^ashe moves fhisf head,4 without` any choking 'orstrainingf v YItV will also eonfo'rmneatly to a tie when wornfbyh'egindividual.. The Aeirpansible mechanisr'nis Acompletelycorn4 cealed whether the collar :is worn Yopenor closed."

It1will'be*apparent to'th'ose skilled in the 'art .that nu-Y` merous changeswithin the scope of `the 'appended claims" may `be 'made withoutydepartingjfrom` the spiritoi'the' invention.-

I claim: Y

1. In"combination withfa shirt,` an expansible collar comprising: a tubular neckband 'attached along its lower portion vto 'said .shirt adjacent the top 'edge thereoffsaidV tubular neckband having spaced vapartopen frontfends at the front'ofv said shirtg' aita'bin'jeach of `vsaidfopen front ends extending Y outwardly therefrom, each said,

tab having an inner end spaced inwardly in said tubular neckbandfromthe. respective open front. end and being.

attached along. its lower edge from its outer end to a point Within said tubular neckband 'to theV toprof said shirt; means connectingthe inner endsof said tabs, said means including at le'ast one element which is more stretchable than said tubular neckband; vmeans for. .detachably .connectingsaid tabs together; and a collar member. overlying and attached tothe top of said tubular neckband; whereby said tabs may. be stretched outwardly from said tubularfneckband to enlargezsaid expansiblecollar as a wholel without stretching said collar member.

2. In combination with a shirt, anexpansible collar comprising; a neckband attached along itslower edge to said shirt adjacent the top edge thereof, saidneckband having front ends which are spaced apart at the front of said Lshirt and y-a tubular portion-adjacent each Aofv said v front ends, said tubular portions being open at said front ends, a tab in each of said tubular portions, each said tab extending outwardly from the respective front end, having an inner end spaced inwardly from said respective front end, and being attached along its lower edge from its outer end to a point within the. respective tubular portion to the top of said shirt; stretchable means for each said tab connecting its inner end to said neckband; and means for connecting said tabs together; wherebyeach said tab is attached to the top of said shirt, its inner end is connected to said neckband and it hasv limitedV freedom to move inwardly and outwardly with respect to the adjacent front end of said neckband.

3. In combination with a shirt, an expansible collar comprising: a tubular neckband attached along its lower edge to said shirt adjacent the vtop edge thereof, said tubularmeckb'and *having-open" fr`ont"ends'whichL are spaced apart at the front of said shirt;a tab 'in' eachoA said zopen rfront'ends'"extending outwardly` therefrom, each said tab having -an inner-'end' in'said tubular neck-l band spaced dinwardly from thel respective open 'front end of vsaidtubular neckband and being attachedalong'its lower edge Afrom its'outer end toa pointwithin said tubu-V lar neckband/tothe top Aof said-shirtya connecting Istrip for eachtab; each said `strip'being attached at its outer4 end to'the'rinner end ofits tabtand :at its` inner end vtosaid neckbandinwardly of1the'innerend'oits tab;"and means fordetachablyl connecting said'tabs together;whercby said' inaccordancev with claim-3 wherein said Vconnecting strip for each tab is elastic;

References Citedintthe tilel of -this'patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 2,178,777 Chapel Nov. 7, 1939 2,526,813,` Fanning Oct. 24,-1950 Bouteloup Jan. 29,V 1952` 

